TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. navy took a sailor into custody
early Saturday in Tokyo on the charge of desertion, the U.S.
Naval Forces Japan said.

Japanese and U.S. investigators had been looking for a U.S.
serviceman whose credit card was believed to have been found in
a taxi in which a Japanese taxi driver was killed this week.

The incident comes a day ahead of a planned rally on
Japan's southern island of Okinawa, where the bulk of U.S.
military in the country are based, to protest against crimes by
American service personnel following the arrest of a Marine on
suspicion of raping a 14-year-old school girl.

The sailor taken into custody on Saturday has not been
named as a suspect in the murder of the taxi driver, but may
have information regarding the murder, the U.S. Navy said in a
statement.

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A 61-year-old taxi driver was found dead in his taxi with
stab wounds in his neck on Wednesday evening, according to the
Kanagawa prefectural police, south of Tokyo.

The U.S. navy said that the name of the sailor will be
withheld until further notice due to privacy issues, and it
will continue to cooperate with Japanese law enforcement
officials in this case.

Police sources have said a credit card which apparently
belonged to a crew member of the U.S. 7th Fleet's
Aegis-equipped cruiser based in Yokosuka had been found in the
taxi.

The sources have said the U.S. serviceman, whose identity
was withheld, had been missing for "several weeks."

Japan is host to about 50,000 U.S. military personnel as
part of the U.S.-Japan security alliance, but friction often
occurs with local communities near the bases because of concern
about crime, accidents and noise.